Reviews

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Selection Beckstoffer Bourn Vineyard

Black cherry, crunchy cranberry, white pepper, spice, red and black currant, and slight hints of dust. The Bourn impresses with its notable acid and grip, though it does ride fairly high on the…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Previous notes from February still apply. Black cherry, black raspberry, black and red licorice, dark cassis/black cherry syrup, bitter chocolate, Asian spices, and some blackberry pie crust. Hyper…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Served side-by-side with the 2015 B Cellars BTK. This 2016 (a barrel sample) is similar to when I had it back in February, though it seems to be honing-in more on its identity at this stage. The…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

Inching its way in excellence, the BTK continues its trajectory toward showing a great combination of cerebral interest and soulful flavor. Previous notes apply, though I found this sample to be more…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Star Vineyard

A lot of fruit going on here, with the front end leading the charge with ripe blackberry, deep/ripe black and red raspberry, and some spice. Fuzzy tannins provide some speed bumps in the delivery,…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville

Black cherry and black raspberry dominate here, with some red cherry, red and black currant, and cranberry flavors showing up to the party as well. Brilliant cut and acid here. Ripe but not rich,…

B Cellars Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley

Sure enough, the label clearly read "Zinfandel," so I immediately didn't want to like it. I'm a "try all wines" kinda guy, but this varietal is a constant disappointment for me. Only a few of the…

B Cellars Blend 24

Similar to last month. Blackberry pie, jam, fig, pomegranate reduction, and some spice. A wine that shouldn't work, but it turns out kinda ok. Some chocolate emerged, helping to elevate its profile…

B Cellars Pinot Noir Reuling Vineyard

Served next to the 2016 B Cellars Sonoma Coast, which I thought had a little more focus and complexity than that Reuling in its current state. The Reuling was more about luscious ripe fruit than the…

B Cellars Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Served next to a 2016 B Cellars Reuling Pinot, which was much more ripe fruit driven than this Sonoma Coast.

B Cellars Chardonnay Star Vineyard

Served side-by-side with a 2015 B Cellars Barrel Select Chardonnay, which I thought had a bit more depth and complexity than this Star Chardonnay. The Star had notable tension and energy, with more…

B Cellars Chardonnay Barrel Select

Served side-by-side with the 2016 Star Chardonnay, which I thought registered a little higher toned on the palate than this more unctuous Barrel Select Chardonnay. Previous notes apply. This was a…

B Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Juliana Vineyard

Clean, crisp, and served up nice and cold, this SB kicked out some inviting and energetic notes of lemon, stone, and subtle grass. I was happy to see some of the grass/mineral surface this time…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard

A beautiful and poised example of BTK; medium bodied and seamless (almost gentle) on the finish. Pure fruit flavors of black raspberry, black cherry, cinnamon, and subtle bitter chocolate. A kiss of…

B Cellars Blend 24

A blend of primarily Petite Sirah and Sangiovese. A wine that seemingly should not work, the Blend 24 surprisingly manages to pull off a decent amount of flavor and body. Dark red core fruit, with a…

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Finished the bottle. Good purity of fruit. Really nice herbaceous black cherry and spicy cassis. Even better in a couple of years. Hold until 2020.

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Same as previous notes. Last minute pull. PnP. Still a decent amount of baby fat here. Hold until after 2020++ minimum.

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Coravin pour with exotic notes of wild black cherry, red and black currant, crunchy cassis, deep kirsch, dark dried cranberry, Herbes de Provence, and violets. A beguiling wine that kept me coming…

B Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Juliana Vineyard

Standard yellow citrus, mild tropical fruit, and grapefruit notes. Not much grass or mineral notes to elevate it beyond the core fruit flavors. Simple but satisfying. Drink now.

B Cellars Chardonnay Barrel Select

Previous notes apply. I'm a fan. Decanting is actually recommended here in my opinion, allowing it to smooth out and not be obnoxious with its initial hit of flavor and flair. Softened our nicely for…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

DAY 2: A little less than 1/4 of the previous juice was bottled in a small sample bottle, filled to the top, and sealed for the next day. Much more resolved and less overtly bombastic than Day 1.…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Las Piedras Vineyard

So I've had some breathtaking and otherworldly wines within the last week; and a number of them were from one of my favorite sites in the Valley. Who would've thought LPV could deliver such…

B Cellars Cabernet Franc Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Previous notes apply. An alliterative fun, flavorful, fascinating, and focused phenom. A lot going on here that could still use another year or so to elevate even further. The black cherry and cassis…

B Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

Previous notes apply. Finished the bottle. Definitely in need of time in the bottle to develop a better sense of seamlessness. Swirling with ripe, chocolatey, oak-influenced flavors, this is akin to…

B Cellars Chardonnay Barrel Select

Same notes as two months ago. Seemingly weighty and rich, but never burdensome or fat. Maintains great flavor while still holding a good grip on the lush yellow citrus fruit; showed lovely balance…